Wednesday, June 22, 2016

History: The Year is 1813

A Monument to the Triumph of Napoleon in Plaster

Don't tell anyone but there is a plaster elephant, 78 feet tall,
standing in the middle of the plaza in Paris. The plaza is the former
site of the Bastille, the prison that became the symbol of tyranny and
sparked a popular uprising against the French monarchy known as the
French Revolution. The Bastille was torn down and replaced with a
fountain, but somehow the statue of a woman with water pouring forth
from her breasts didn't seem appropriate so Napoleon decreed that a
monument of triumph be built, but the Arc de Triomphe isn't going
to work there, so Napoleon decides on a bronze elephant with a hollow
leg so that people can enter and climb to the top. At this point in the
construction, the base of the monument is complete, but a new architect
is hired. He decides to build a full-size model of the elephant in wood
and plaster to give people an idea of what the final product will be
like. It looks magnificent in drawings, but in person it is less than
magnificent. With the turn in Napoleon's fortunes this year, the
delivery of the bronze is quietly cancelled. The plaster model will
remain on display for several years and become the home for rats and a
hiding place for a fictional character in Victor Hugo's novel, Les
Misérables.
[1][2][3][4][5][6]

My Take by Alex ShruggedSome
historians use the Elephant of the Bastille as a metaphor for the
crumbling of the French Revolution. After Napoleon's failed incursion
into Russia, several nations joined forces to push him back across the
Rhine. So many people were killed in that battle in 1813 that they were
still finding bodies a year later. A monument to Napoleon's failure and
the triumph of his adversaries was built in Leipzig, Germany. It is
called the Monument to the Battle of the Nations and it is magnificent.
As far as Les Misérables is concerned, it is a fictional account, but
the events that take place begin after the fall of Napoleon in 1814.
I've not read the book, and I walked out of the movie about a third of
the way through. However, Anne Hathaway gave a magnificent performance. [7]

'Don't Give Up the Ship!' The Battle Flag of Lake Erie

This is the War of 1812 and the British have blockaded Lake Erie with
two war ships they already had on site. They cut off the supply line to
Detroit while British forces cross the Detroit River. They capture a
United States ship named the Adams in port. The US forces need
more gun ships on Lake Erie to challenge the British, but the only
effective way to do that is to build new ships, so they do. The
facilities for building ships is inadequate, but they have a master ship
builder and the iron will of Captain Oliver Perry. (He is the older
brother of Matthew Perry who will open up the ports of Japan for
American shipping whether they like it or not.) Captain Perry will
challenge the British on the Lake, but first, he wants a new battle
flag. His friend suggests the dying words of Captain James Lawrence of
the frigate USS Chesapeake be written across the flag, "Don't Give Up
the Ship." With a shortage of experienced sailors on both sides, Captain
Perry sets out to challenge the British on his flagship, the Lawrence.
Perry catches the best wind called the "weather gauge". He sails right
into the British squadron and pounds away with cannon fire. Ships become
entangled as their rigging crashes all around. It soon becomes a melee.
The damage to Perry's ship, the Lawrence is horrifying, but in the end, the British surrender control of the Lake. [8][9]

My Take by Alex ShruggedCaptain
Perry got all the best lines in this story. He said, "If a victory is
to be gained, I will gain it," and he wrote to General William Harrison,
"We have met the enemy and they are ours." The Congress awarded him the
Congressional Gold Medal inscribed with words in Latin that read in
English, "Valor finds or makes a way. Between the Fleets of America and
Britain September 10, 1813.". He was thereafter known as the Hero of
Lake Erie. And for clarity's sake, there is no "Congressional Medal of
Honor". The Medal of Honor is awarded by the President of the United
States on behalf of the military for bravery above and beyond the call
of duty. The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded by an act of Congress
for whatever reason they deem appropriate and it is sometimes presented
by the President of the United States. [10]